Evolution Series at St Bride's - Part 4
What are we evolving into? by Jonathan Clatworthy
Evolution means gradual change over time.
Old Testament view: gradual process, going from the past to the future. Human fulfilment is God’s plan and depends on obeying God’s laws.
New Testament views:
Millenarianism. Jews had borrowed from Persian religion (Zoroastrianism) the idea of separate stages in history, and the expectation of wars in heaven at the end of their age, prior to victory by the good god and a better new age. In the 1st Century AD many Jews expected it imminently.
History in stages, without the expectation of an imminent new age. No gradual change, but occasional sudden changes caused by God or the Devil. Although there is very little New Testament support for it, in the fourth century it was developed into the Creation-Fall-Redemption system familiar today.
The continuing Jewish view: gradual change over time, with progress dependent on human morality. Irenaeus, 2nd century (before the Creation-Fall-Redemption schema was established):
Could not God have exhibited man as perfect from the beginning? ... But created things must be inferior to him who created them, from the very fact of their later origin; for it was not possible for things recently created to have been uncreated... Because as these things are of later date, so are they infantile; so are they unaccustomed to, and unexercised in, perfect discipline. For as it certainly is in the power of a mother to give strong food to her infant [but does not] as the child is not yet able to receive more substantial nourishment; so also it was possible for God himself to have made man perfect from the first, but man could not receive this, being as yet an infant...
By this arrangement, therefore, and these harmonies, and a consequence of this nature, man, a created and organized being, is rendered after the image and likeness of the uncreated God, - the Father planning everything well and giving his commands, the Son carrying these into execution and performing the work of creating, and the Spirit nourishing and increasing, but man making progress day by day, and ascending towards the perfect, that is, approximating to the uncreated one. For the uncreated is perfect, that is, God. Now it was necessary that man should in the first instance be created; and having been created, should receive growth; and having received growth, should be strengthened; and having been strengthened, should abound; and having abounded, should recover; and having recovered, should be glorified; and being glorified, should see his Lord.
Some visions of evolutionary progress.
Education. As we gather more information about ourselves and the world, we understand better how to manage ourselves and society.
Technology. With greater scientific knowledge we can control the forces of nature, and make them more amenable to human happiness.
Economic growth. With a better understanding of economics we can arrange society so as to keep increasing the amount we produce and consume.
Robotics. Human technology will create robots more intelligent than humans. They will take over from us and future evolution will depend on their greater insights. If we are lucky they won’t enslave us.
Biological change. Human bodies and minds will gradually change and become better at doing some things which we are not so good at.
Eugenics. The survival of the fittest. Some human races have evolved further than others, and within each race some individuals are throwbacks to the past. If we want biological change we should encourage the best stock to have children, and discourage others from breeding.
Morality. As we learn to pay more attention to the potential and limitations of human living, we learn to live morally better lives, to the benefit of all.
Question
Which of these do you hope for?
Against the Heresies 4.38.1-3